Interlayer Web Loop Storage for Stress-Free High-Speed Slicing

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing interleaver and underleaver technologies in high-speed slicers face challenges in reliably decoupling the ejection of material web from the cutting area from the material supply, especially at high cutting speeds, leading to stress and inefficiency in material web management.

Innovation Solution

A device providing single-track or multi-track web-shaped intermediate sheet material with a loop storage system, equipped with a brake and suction/blowing devices to maintain web tension and control web course, ensuring continuous and stress-free material supply to the cutting area.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If material web is supplied directly from inert material supply to high-speed cutting area, then material supply is simple, but web stress and reliability deteriorate at high cutting speeds

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial web supply reliabilityVSAvoidmaterial supply system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The material web is fed into the loop storage in advance and stored there before being supplied to the cutting area. This preliminary storage action allows the system to prepare material ahead of time, ensuring continuous supply without stress even during high-speed cutting operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The loop storage acts as an intermediary between the inert material supply and the dynamic cutting area. It decouples the static material source from the high-speed cutting process, absorbing the dynamic demands and preventing web stress while maintaining supply reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If cutting speed is increased to improve productivity, then slicing efficiency is improved, but material web management becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveslicing speedVSAvoidmaterial web management ease
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

By pre-loading the material web into the loop storage, the system prepares the material in advance, allowing high-speed cutting to proceed without real-time material management issues. The loop storage buffers the material supply, making it easily manageable even at high cutting speeds.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Stress or pressure

If loop storage is introduced to decouple material supply from cutting area, then web stress is reduced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial web stressVSAvoidmaterial supply system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stress or pressureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The loop storage serves as a mediating element that absorbs the dynamic stresses between the inert material supply and the high-speed cutting area. By introducing this intermediate buffer, the system eliminates web stress while adding only moderate complexity through a relatively simple loop storage mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution ensures reliable and efficient decoupling of material web supply from the inert material source, maintaining web length and tension, even at high cutting speeds, thereby preventing material web stress and ensuring consistent performance.

Implementation Method 1

the loop store comprises a suction device for the material loop

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSuction: Suction

Implementation Method 2

the loop store comprises a blowing device for the material loop

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectBlowing:

Implementation Method 3

the loop store includes a brake for the material web

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentEP3424852B1Provision of web-shaped sheet material to a cutting area
Publication Date: 2021.04.21 WEBER FOOD TECHNOLOGY SE & CO KG
  • EP3424852B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3424852B1 patent drawingFigure 2~4
  • EP3424852B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a device for the single-lane or multi-lane provision of web-shaped interlayer material () at a cutting area (85), in which single-lane or multi-lane supplied products (11) are cut into slices (13) and interlayers (15) are inserted, which are separated from the provided interlayer material in the cutting area, with a material supply, and with a removal device (21, 23) which is designed to remove the material web (19) from the material supply, wherein a loop storage (61) is provided for the material web in which the material web (19) forms a loop (20).